Some business owners focus more on sales volume, marketing, client retention, and expensive but unyielding wellness programs, ignoring seemingly minor things like air quality. In contrast, research shows that many employees want the basics, like a clean and safe working environment. People who work in a clutter-free environment are more productive than those who do not.
Lower productivity translates to bad results and bad sales. However, there are easy ways to avoid losing employees and resources to an untidy workspace. This article highlights the importance of a tidy establishment, what you should focus on when cleaning for health, and how to maintain a germ-free and happy environment.
The Importance of a Clean Workplace
A dirty workplace contributes to workers' unhappiness, reduces their willingness to perform tasks, and discourages other parties from doing business with the company. Thus, tidiness should be a prerequisite in every establishment. Here are other benefits of a clean and safe working environment:
1. Creates a Good First Impression and Better Brand Perception
Visitors and other workplace contributors will judge a company’s values and culture using many factors, including cleanliness. An unkempt business space will look unappealing and unwelcoming to potential clients, investors, and employees. This can lead to the loss of deals and important relationships.
Additionally, every company needs good brand perception to retain and attract new customers. The state of your workplace is one of the things potential clients will remember for a long time, potentially ruining their experience completely. Therefore, work with a commercial cleaning company to prevent this from happening and ensure that they refer you to others.
2. Promotes a Safe and Healthy Environment
The slogan “safety first” may not seem like a big deal. However, it holds immense meaning and can reduce accident rates and illness in every organization, especially since a 2019 analysis showed that employees’ poor health costs companies $575 billion. This loss and others are avoidable by prioritizing cleanliness and safety.
3. Increases Employee Satisfaction and Productivity
As discussed earlier, employees' poor health can cost businesses millions of dollars, and working sick is another resource drain. Sick workers are less productive and more easily dissatisfied, including with their health and workplace atmosphere.
Since the brain is more easily able to concentrate when there's less clutter, commercial cleaning services are one of the most important tactics you need to boost employee morale, increase productivity, and make more sales.
4. Reduces Fire Hazards
While the chances of a fire at your workplace might appear slim, it is not impossible with a dusty and poorly ventilated space. Dust is flammable and can go up in flames from something as minor as hot surface contact. Thus, frequent cleaning of accumulated dust can save your enterprise from going ablaze. Companies such as Georgia Facility Services ensure your workplace is free from dirt and elements that can start a fire.
What You Should Focus on When Cleaning for Health
Every area of your facility is important and should be cleaned as often as possible. Below is a list of some of the areas of your company that require daily, weekly, or monthly cleaning.
1. Desks and Workstations
Most people look at their coworkers negatively if their workspace is constantly cluttered or dusty. Having a clean and safe working environment benefits you, affects others' efficiency, and paints a pleasant image of you in their minds.
Besides that, dust irritates the eyes, nose, throat, and skin and causes respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Employees' desks and workspaces should be cleaned and maintained daily to avoid health issues.
2. Commonly Touched Surfaces
Like schools, a working environment is another breeding ground for the spread of germs and diseases. Research shows that an average of 14.4 million US employees work in facilities where exposure to disease or infection occurs at least once weekly. As a business owner, it would be best to hire a commercial service provider to regularly clean the doorknobs, light switches, and other frequently touched areas.
3. Restrooms and Washrooms
Bathrooms are undoubtedly one of the most important areas requiring steady cleaning. Suppose you don’t wash and maintain your office bathrooms regularly. A dirty restroom could ruin your brand reputation, and illness-causing germs can build up, affecting your employees’ and visitors’ health.
4. Meeting Rooms and Conference Areas
Most companies hold weekly meetings in conference rooms and halls. So, keeping this space clean helps employees concentrate and improves how investors, potential clients, and job seekers see your brand.
5. Floors and Carpets
Routine floor and carpet cleaning improves air quality and keeps your workspace clean and germ-free. Besides that, having a professional commercial cleaning service at your beck and call will ensure no slips or accidents from liquid spills.
6. Trash and Recycling Bins
Accumulated trash pollutes the air, and an analysis by the World Health Organization shows that almost 99% of people worldwide breathe air containing pollutants. Also, contaminated air has been linked to various illnesses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancers, aggravated asthma, and lower respiratory infections.
If you want to create a clean and safe working environment for yourself, your employees, and other contributors, then you should start by making inquiries for “commercial cleaning services near me.” You'll definitely find a company in your city to guide you through the process. Also, encourage employees and other stakeholders to look out for each other by maintaining personal hygiene.
Tips for Making Sure Your Workspace Is Safe and Healthy
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of a clean workplace and the most important areas to focus on, let’s look at the best practices for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace:
1. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
There's no one-size-fits-all tip for paying attention to your surroundings because every job has different threats. So, employers should organize programs highlighting the dangers of their particular workspace or industry or install hazard signs to help employees and visitors.
2. Ensure Proper Ventilation
As minor as it may sound, proper ventilation is crucial for every establishment. Good vent systems remove air pollutants, bacteria, moisture, and unpleasant odors, reducing the spread of airborne viruses and improving the air quality in your facility.
3. Reduce Moisture
Reducing moisture in your workplace can prevent mold growth and improve indoor air quality. One way to achieve this is to fix the leaks in the building, ensuring proper humidity control.
4. Opt for Green Cleaning Products
Another way to improve the indoor air in your workspace is by using natural cleaning products. This can reduce the level of chemicals and gases released into the environment. In light of these changes, companies like Georgia Facility Services offer green cleaning services and products to help you achieve a sparkling, germ-free environment while fighting toxicity.
5. Keep Emergency Exits Clear
The incident at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, though over 100 years old, took 146 lives due to a collapsed fire exit. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently fined Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp over $1 million for repeated workplace safety violations. These violations consist of blocked exit routes, improper equipment storage, etc., and this issue has been discovered in more than 240 inspections of their stores nationwide since 2017. Emergencies occur, and when they do, lives must be saved. Ensure that employees and other occupants can exit the workplace safely and through doors that are unlocked from the inside.
How Regular Maintenance Can Help Keep Your Space Free From Dust and Germs
There's hardly any space that is not potentially a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Nonetheless, this Georgia Facility Services maintenance guide will help you maintain a dust- and germ-free environment:
- Frequent Vacuuming and Dusting: To avoid frequent health problems and fire outbreaks, work with any cleaning service provider to vacuum and dust your workspaces weekly. Not sure where to start? Consider searching for “commercial cleaning services near me” or explore the Georgia Facility Services website to find the best plan for your establishment. Timely vacuum cleaning reduces dust buildup and saves you the costs of more frequent deep cleaning.
- Regular Wiping of Surfaces and Frequently Touched Areas: This is usually a daily routine, and it is ideal for high-traffic areas like bathrooms, desks, office kitchens, etc. Also, many people hold their phones most of the time, and a study shows that these devices are dirtier than toilet seats due to exposure to various spaces. You can mount a hand sanitizer stand at various entrances and encourage everyone to adhere to health safety practices.
- Periodic Deep Cleaning of Carpets and Upholstery: The importance of cleaning carpets was highlighted earlier, but how often should you deep clean upholstery and carpets? Depending on your workspace traffic, clean your carpets and upholstery at least once every six to 12 months. However, if there is a significant spillage of liquids on them, you may have to clean them up immediately.
- Monthly Cleaning of Air Vents and Filters: Clean air ventilation systems and filters properly to ensure optimum dust, moisture, and smoke evacuation. This ensures cleaner air and reduces the spread of allergens.
- Regular Laundering of Curtains, Drapes, and Linens: Dirty linens, drapes, and curtains are unappealing. Schedule a monthly laundry plan with a reputable commercial cleaning company to keep your curtains and fabrics neat.
- Choose a cleaning plan that includes routine (monthly) deep cleaning of hidden or hard-to-reach areas, windows, and blinds.
The Advantages of Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service
Here are some benefits of hiring a professional cleaning service to help with your commercial sanitation needs:
- Time-Saving and Convenient: Hiring a commercial cleaning company to handle major workplace sanitation is convenient and time-saving. It allows you and your employees to focus on the tasks ahead of you instead of the state of the work environment.
- High-Quality and Consistent Cleaning: Depending on your package, commercial cleaning services are usually available to maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
- Professional Expertise, Experience, and Specialized Cleaning Equipment: If you choose a commercial cleaning company with years of experience maintaining workspaces, you can access full-fledged and premium green products and routines at affordable rates.
- Customizable Cleaning Schedules and Services: Many commercial cleaning service providers offer robust customization options to fit your requirements. Whether you own a large, small, or medium-sized business or facility, you're covered.
How Do You Maintain a Safe and Clean Work Environment?
Here are five essential steps you should take every day for a healthier work environment:
Daily Cleaning
Some of the cleaning tasks you can address daily include:
- Desk Tidying: This includes organizing documents, cleaning desk surfaces, and clearing trash
- Dusting: Dust off shelves, windowsills, and other surfaces to keep them clean and allergen-free
- Sanitizing Certain Areas: Wipe down and disinfect shared spaces such as break rooms and meeting rooms
- Vacuuming or Sweeping: Clean floors in high-traffic areas to remove any dirt or debris
- Emptying Bins: Empty your workspace waste into a larger communal receptacle.
Weekly Cleaning
The weekly cleaning process includes the following tasks:
- Vacuuming and mopping the hard floors in your workspace
- Cleaning windows and door frames
- Tidying the meeting rooms thoroughly
- Deep cleaning of the toilet and washroom
- Restocking supplies
Monthly Cleaning
This cleaning schedule also involves inspecting furniture for damage, decluttering storage areas, and deep sanitizing desk surfaces. By performing these tasks monthly, you can improve the lifespan of office assets and promote a healthier work environment.
With a good regular cleaning schedule, you can apply deep cleaning once or twice a year. Deep cleaning is a thorough cleaning process that involves getting rid of dirt, dust, bacteria, germs, grime, and pet hair from every surface in your workspace. If your cleaning schedule isn't thorough, deep cleaning every few months will ensure your work environment is safe and clean.
Send an inquiry to Georgia Facility Services to find out how we can help you maintain a clean and safe working environment. As one of the best commercial cleaning service providers, we offer premium, sustainable services tailored to various industry and company needs. Contact us to get started.